I imagine that when you meet someone for the first time, you might introduce yourself by giving your name or your vocation or where you live. Jesus gathers with his disciples, and instead of saying, “I am Jesus, born from a virgin in Bethlehem,” he asks, “Who do people say that I am?” Can you… Read more »
Posts Tagged: suffering
Pastoral Prayer, Proper 14 B
Gracious God, bread of heaven, you feed us in the depths of grief, sin, and hostility. Nourish us with your word through the long hours of darkness, and in the dawning awareness of our need for forgiveness. Forgive us for what we have done and for what we have left undone. Take our sin and… Read more »
When Bad Things Happen . . .
Near the end of Steel Magnolias, one of my favorite movies, Melin wrestles with questions of suffering at her daughter, Shelby’s, funeral. In her grief and sadness, Annelle tries to offer solace saying, “It should make you feel a lot better that Shelby is with her king. We should all be rejoicing.” In a moment… Read more »
God's Will Undone
God is love. God’s will is always to love. God’s will for me and for you is to love God and love each other. Knowing God’s will doesn’t mean that we are biblical scholars or more holy than others or that our prayers are eloquent. God’s will is made manifest in Christ. When we look… Read more »
God’s Will Undone
God is love. God’s will is always to love. God’s will for me and for you is to love God and love each other. Knowing God’s will doesn’t mean that we are biblical scholars or more holy than others or that our prayers are eloquent. God’s will is made manifest in Christ. When we look… Read more »
The Will of God
[wpvideo c7Uk2v8N] What is God’s will for me? It is a question which resonates deep within our soul. It is the central question of faith both for those who have spent a life time within the body of Christ and for those who are for the first time brave enough to enter a church to… Read more »
Initial thoughts on Day Six
We are so quick to kill Jesus in our worship. It becomes self serving. We are worshiping what Christ did for us rather than worshiping Christ by following what he taught. To show you what I mean, today we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There were thousands of people on a pilgrimmage… Read more »
Pastoral Prayer, Sunday, August 14, 2011
Gracious God, full of mystery and wonder, open our ears so that we might hear your story. Open our eyes so that we might see your glory. Open our hearts so that we might love what you love. Fill us with a holy curiosity to indulge in the mystery of your grace, and surrounded by… Read more »
The Royal Wedding, The NFL Draft . . . I’m Watching Neither
With the Royal Wedding, the NFL Draft, and the NBA and NHL playoffs, how does anyone have time to do anything else? Being the father of two toddlers, I haven’t found time to watch any of these events, and I haven’t regretted a minute. The other night the family gathered to play the Wii, which… Read more »
The Royal Wedding, The NFL Draft . . . I'm Watching Neither
With the Royal Wedding, the NFL Draft, and the NBA and NHL playoffs, how does anyone have time to do anything else? Being the father of two toddlers, I haven’t found time to watch any of these events, and I haven’t regretted a minute. The other night the family gathered to play the Wii, which… Read more »